Miraculous: Couture & L'Amour
by AnimeKitty1896
Summary: Spring is here! Its a new take on life for Marinette following the events of "Volpina". New ideas, new inspiration... a new rival in the form of Elias Argent! (A/N: this is a really bad summary but hey, the story is good! Probably revise this later)
1. Chapter 1: Spring Fever Rivals

AK: Hey, I am back with another story. This one is for Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & C/hat Noir (depends on where you watch it). I am a huge fan of this show, but I have been holding myself back because of plot holes in my story. ANd now I have a story with minimal plot holes and a plausible story, so here it is.

Chapter 1: Spring Fever Rivals

It was Spring in Paris, and everything was in bloom. Not because nature intended it that way- no, no, this is Paris. It was because of the akuma, the Fleur.

The Fleur wore bright floral colors, his costume mainly a vibrant green bodysuit, decorated with flower icons of different color and climbing ivy patterns. On his wrist were two flower bulbs, the left a bright orange and the left a searing violet. From the neck of his suit came two yellow sloping petals, like wings.

Flittering around Paris, spreading sparkles from the bulbs on his wrist, which rapidly grew the plants it touched to full maturity and most of the time to massive proportions. He whizzed over parks and flower stands, mutating the flowers and trees to rainforest proportions. Hot on his trail, however, were Ladybug and Chat Noir. The red and black superduo were swinging through the enchanted forest after the akuma-tized organic decorator. Having been commissioned by Chloe Bourgeois to decorate her Spring Party, and then promptly abused emotionally, the decorator had Ladybug's sympathies but she couldn't let his get to Chloe, who was enroute to school in a white limo.

Finally, the Fleur stopped atop a tree, ready to take aim at the crack of dandelions in the street which Chloe's limo was fast approaching. "I'll show you a passe party, mademoiselle Bourgeois!"

"Chat, time for some fancy scratching!" Ladybug called to her partner, flipping to the top of an oversized cherry blossom tree. Man the things people import, Ladybug grimaced mentally, dusting a slew of petals from her suit.

"You got it, M'Lady!" her blonde partner replied. " **CAT-ACLYSM!** " Raking his now destructive claws across the treetop, he successfully unbalanced the akuma. But not before he successfully hit the dandelions.

A trio of puffy white clouds burst onto the road and the limo driver stomped on the breaks hard to avoid it. Unfortunately, he did not. He crashed right into it.

Ladybug swung over to the scene, at the driver's door in seconds. "Are you alright?" She asked.

Before the dazed driver could reply, Chloe shrieked from the back, "LADYBUG, OMG I'm so glad you're here! No! Now I'll be late!"

Ladybug frowned. They had more than half an hour before school started. The school was literally a block away. Even if she walked, and that was a big if considering it was Chloe, she would make it.

Chat landed next to her. "Well, I'd say that this were a dandy fine mess we have here, but then I'd be lion."

Ladybug groaned. "Chat… puns…?" Especially bad ones like that…

Her black-leather-clad partner grinned rakishly, "You know you love them."

"I'd love for you to- DUCK!"

Narrowly they missed a stream of sparkles which hit a nearby tree, mutating it to a seven story tall behemoth. " _Mon dieu!_ " exclaimed Chloe as her car began to shake as the roots grew into the street. It upended her car and luckily, both occupants were out before it front flipped.

Once again, Chloe latched onto Ladybug's arm and screamed. "Stop that!" Ladybug hissed at the blond blowhorn.

"M'Lady, me thinks we must wrap this up soon. I'm running out of time." Chat nervously confessed.

"You keep him busy. I'll see what Lady Luck has for us today." At her pronouncement, Chat saluted and engaged the Fleur with quick swipes and bad puns.

Ladybug shrugged off Chloe and shoved her towards the driver. "Take her and get clear. Let's get this over with. LUCKY CHARM!"

A Ladybug patterned folded tarp fell into her hands. "What?" She scoped the scene, noting a lamp post behind the Fleur, a fake potted plant, and Chat. "Chat! Grab the plant and toss it here!"

She unfurled the tarp to arms length apart.

Chat swiped it up and lobbed it into her makeshift canopy, and she launched it in the air in a high arc.

The Fleur, predictably, started spraying sparkles at his in a steady stream, confused when it didn't mutate. Ladybug was there with the tarp, completely unfurled, ready to wrap him up against the lamp pole. Once his hands were securely covered in the poly-plastic lining, Ladybug went for the akuma, which was on his chest, the only faded flower of the bunch on his suit. She crushed it underfoot, releasing the akuma.

"You've been a very naughty akuma." Ladybug said, snatching the blackened butterfly from the air. "It's time for some Spring Cleaning!" She pressed the face of her yo-yo, releasing a pure white butterfly. "Bye-bye, _petit papillon_."

As the man slowly transformed back to his former state, Lady bug rolled up the tarp. "Miraculous LADYBUG!" She threw it high in the air, releasing a swarm of ladybugs to return the city to normal. Personally, she wanted to leave Chloe's party looking a complete jungle mess, and her limo totaled, but it all reverted too.

" _Bien joue!_ " The two heros bumped fists. Chat's ring beeped again. "And now, I must bid you _adieu,_ my lady."

The black cat used his baton to get away, vaulting over the buildings to secrecy.

Ladybug only had a few minutes now too. The mousy brunette man who took the place of the Fleur stared up at her. She crouched to his level. "I think your work is _tres bien,_ and so does your assistant. Don't let someone put you down for having a unique approach to decorating."

The dazed and mute man nodded timidly. " _Merci beaucoup_ , Ladybug!" the voice of the assistant came from behind them.

The frazzled girl ran up to the man, resting concerned and comforting hands on his deflated shoulders. "T-thank you… Ladybug…"

"Don't mention it." Ladybug smiled. Her earring gave her another warning. "Adieu!"

She yo-yoed her way to privacy on the street of her school, in the deserted secrecy of some darkened alley way. The transformation gave way in a flash of red light, revealing Marinette Dupain-Cheng, alter ego of Ladybug, heroine of Paris.

She smiled to her kwami who landed in her cupped hands. "We made great on time, today."

"And Alya wasn't on the scene," the kwami- Tikki- giggled.

"That was weird, but I guess even a star reporter and blogger extraordinaire has an off day or two." Mari carefully lowered her kwami into her bag at her hip.

She made her way to the front of the school to wait for Alya to arrive, and made note that Chloe was standing at the front with Sabrina, eyes glued to the street.

"Hey, girl!" Alya exclaimed kidding around the corner.

"Alya, good morning. I beat you to school." Mari smugly stated.

Alya groaned. "I know; and there was an akuma attack today. I miss that too. Tell me you were there!"

"Haha… If I were there, would I really be here? Ahead of you?" Mari hedged. Technically not lying.

Alya groaned again. "I saw the news coverage. Chloe was of course the cause." She shot the blond culprit a dirty look and then proceeded to talk about how she'd overslept, because she was up all night fielding through new theories on Ladybug and Chat Noir's origins.

"...And some guy from Quebec claims he created them in some top secret lab. Another guy, Zag or something, said he made them as a cartoon for teenagers. Can you believe it?"

Mari agreed with her best friend. It was easier that way.

Suddenly, a long, sleek limo pulled up to the curb and Chloe squealed.

Mari frowned. Chloe only ever squealed over Adrien. But Adrien had a photo shoot from morning to noon today. And it was totally legitimate how Mari knew it this time: she had overheard Adrien telling Nino after class yesterday about how he had a last minute addition to his schedule for _Sirius Styles_ magazine. Granted they were in front of the school and Mari had been hiding in the bushes, but she didn't stalk him to get the information….

From the back of the limo came some tall blond boy who was definitely not Adrien. Okay, so maybe he wasn't traditionally blond…

He was pretty in that standard pretty boy-way guys can be. A striking face, almost-white platinum blond hair over a black undercut, and a beauty mark to the left just under his lips. He wore black and white- a black button-down overshirt with a white v-neck underneath which featured a stylized wolf face in dark gray. His legs were clad in dark gray jeans and his eyes were covered by designer glasses.

"Who is that?" Alya questioned, in a state of awe similar to her best friend.

"Elias Argent! How nice to finally meet you!" squealed Chloe, instantly running up and latching onto his arm as if she'd known him forever. "I am a HUGE fan of your mother- I have so many posters-"

"Get off!" Elias snapped, wrenching his hand from the blond socialite. "This shirt is an Argent Original." He smoothed a hand over the front and dusted invisible Chloe-dust from the sleeve, and Mari giggled lightly.

His gaze snapped to her instantly, as did Chloe's glare. He sauntered over, stride confident and practiced with ease. He was like Chat Noir, only without the flirting.

"You are… Marinette Dupain-Cheng." he stated. At her confused look, he smirked. "I read about you in the article on Jagged Stone's album cover. And the Gabriel Agreste bowler hat competition. You are an up-and-coming designer, no?"

"Yeah… I mean, yes." Mari replied. Where was he going with this?

He held out his hand. "Elias Argent, aspiring fashion designer as well." She took his hand to shake it, and was surprised when he flipped their intertwined hands over to kiss the back of hers. "I look forward to rivalling you, Marinette."

With that, he sauntered off, up the steps of the school and into the building, leaving a dumfounded Mari and raging Chloe in his wake.

Alya finally managed to snap the girl out of it. "Girl, looks like you have a rival!"


	2. Chapter 2: Intense Texture

Chapter 2: Intense Texture

Marinette could not wait for class to end. The day had need nothing if not taxing on her psyche. First, Mme. Bustier had seated Elias right behind Mari, as Ivan was absent that day with a cold. That meant Mari was under constant scrutiny from her so called rival, and glaring venom from a jealous Chloe. And to add salt to the wound, Adrien had yet to show up for class, so there was no distracting herself from the intensity from both sides.

When Mme. Bustier released them, Mari was quick to shove her things in her backpack and dash from the classroom with Alya and Nino hot on her heels.

"Marinette, girl, wait up!" Alya called after her.

She only stopped once she reached her locker, and even then she was looking around for Elias. Both her friends flanked her on each side.

Alya frowned at her. "What is up with the track star routine?" her best friend demanded.

"Did he follow you?" Mari asked instead.

"No, Mme. Bustier stopped him after you barrelled out of the start like Usain Bolt at the Olympics. She wanted to ask him about future seating arrangements, seeing as that is Ivan's seat." Alya replied.

"Good," sighed Mari, closing her locker contentedly.

"What's got you spooked about him?" Nino asked. "He seems okay, if a little intense.'

Mari sighed again. "I don't handle intensity too well, off the cuff like that. I need to get accumulated. Besides, it's unnerving having someone stare at you all the time for no good reason…" Note to self: stop staring at Adrien so intensely during class.

Nino cocked a brow. "He was staring that intensely?"

"You didn't see what Argent did this morning when he met her."

"AL-YA!" Mari hissed.

"Kissed her smack on the-"

"I SWEAR!"

"-back of the hand. Like some prince or something." Ayla finished informing her boyfriend. "I thought he broke her for a second, introduced himself as her 'rival'."

"I'm never getting you croissants from the bakery again." Mari threatened.

Alya threw her arms around her friend. "Aw, you will. How else are you gonna pay for all my help with Adrien? Did you think I did this pro bono?"

After talking some more and getting their books, Alya, Mari, and Nino made their way to the front of the steps. The trio of friends started down the steps of the school, pausing only when they spotted Chloe trying to squeeze her way into the limo from this morning. Elias' limo.

When the got to the bottom, the window rolled down slowly, and Chloe began threatening/begging Elias.

"Please let me meet your mom! I swear if you do, you can be my new best friend. If you don't, I swear I will make your life Hell." Chloe interchanged threats with pleas.

"Marinette," Elias called when they went to leave down the street. "Let me take you home. I want to talk."

Ignoring Alya suggestive stare, Mari turned to the guy. "Thanks, but I have somewhere private to go today."

He gave a noncommittal hum and said, "Okay, next time."

With that, he rolled the window back up and the limo pulled out of the curb leaving a spitting mad Chloe behind.

The blond socialite turned her spitting blue eyes at Mari and jabbed a finger in her direction. "What does he see in you? Just because you got lucky and won some contest? You are nothing but a joke!"

"The only joke here is that jacket you're wearing, Chloe." Alya shot back.

Chloe huffed and straightened herself, turning on her heel. "Ridicule! Come on Sabrina, lets find another way to meet my idol."

The ginger girl meekly followed her best friend away, leaving the trio alone to walk home.

"Where do you have to go today? Is it that place you keep going and won't tell me about?" Alya asked.

"Yeah…" Lately, ever since the whole Volpina episode, Mari had been going to Master Fu's massage parlour for guidance and extra insight on the akuma attacks. It was always helpful, sometimes critical, but never unappreciated. And she was learning more about her Miraculous as well. But these were things she couldn't share with Alya, Nino, and least of all Adrien. FOr her friends to know clutzy, average Marinette Dupain-Cheng moonlighted as the incredible, miraculous Ladybug would break their hearts.

She twisted the strap on her purse. "It's just something I want to keep private."

Alya shrugged. "You do you, girl. Anyway, about the akuma attack from this morning. Are you sure you didn't catch any of it? Like not even a little?"

Mari mutely shook her head, while Nino replied, "I saw the news report."

XXX

Adrien Agreste sighed as he entered his house, the Agreste Manor. It wasn't really a "home" feeling sort of place. Just a big showroom thing devoid of warmth and color since his mother disappeared.

Nathalie, his father's assistant, met him at the apex of the stairs. "Your Chinese tutor will be late today. You have approximately forty-five minutes of free time. I suggest you study."

Adrien nodded obediently. "Is my father home?" he asked, hoping to speak with him about the book he'd lost. Perhaps he could make up some excuse, and still finagle an explanation from his father as to how he got the book.

"I'm afraid he's busy with a private matter. I'll tell him you asked to see him." Nathalie replied, before softening her expression a bit. "Perhaps for dinner, Adrien."

"Merci, Nathalie." Adrien conceded before trudging off to his room.

Once he close the door, a black furball darted from his shirt pocket. "Hmph, all day modelling and not even a slice of cheese to show for it."

Adrien frowned at his kwami. "You weren't modelling; I was."

"And I still had to be there, remember. After that morning battle with the Fleur, I have yet to get a bite to eat."

Adrien groaned. "I'll check the mini fridge."

Moments later, his partner feeding and content, Adrien found himself on his computer, staring at his Lady Luck. His love, his partner in heroism, the yin to his yang. Ladybug.

"Oh Ladybug… If only I could see you more often than the occasional patrol and akuma attack…"

"Bleh, please Adrien, your making my Camembert taste mushy with your lovesickness."

Adrien frowned at the outburst but pushed away from the monitor. "But Plagg, what about the book? We lost it and I know my dad won't just forget about it."

"Well, we've tried retracing your steps, and asking that Lila girl about it. No dice, right? Just leave it for a while and maybe it will pop back up."

Adrien grumbled. 'That's your answer for everything."

"And it works for everything too."

His phone started buzzing in his pocket. It was Nino. "Hey, Nino."

"Dude where were you today? We had a new student come in today."

"Like Lila?" Adrien still didn't know how he felt about the girl. She seemed nice enough, if not desperate for attention.

"Nah, it's a guy- son of that actress, Eileen Argent. I think his name was Eli Argent. He was pretty intense, dude. He spooked the ponytails off of Marinette though, all intensity and crap." Nino reported.

Adrien frowned. "He scared her?" Marinette was one of his first friends at school, so he was a bit protective of the shy designer. He liked to think they were close enough, even if she did act funny around him.

"Not really, just kind of unnerved her. Like he was trying to solve the mystery of her freckles and she was guarding it with her life."

The analogy was lost to the model but he agreed nonetheless with his best friend. "So, what did I miss in class?"

That opened up a half hour conversation about the events of school, filling up his free time with some laughter and antics. It wasn't until Nathalie knocked on his door to tell him his instructor was here that he said goodbye to Nino.

Plagg flickered his tail goodbye at the departing boy, engrossed in his third piece of Camembert cheese.

XXX

The next day at school, Adrien got ready to meet Eli Arget. He was a bit skeptical on who could unnerve Marinette- one of the bravest , but shyest people he knew. He was expecting someone sinister, someone ruthless and cynical.

He was not expecting Mari to be walking in with the guy (Nino pointed him out) and engrossed in a argument over textures for fabrics. "Leather is definitely the nicest texture." Mari proposed.

"Not as nice as flocking. Think about it, that texture screams comfort and homestyle." the two-tone haired boy argued.

She laughed at his description. "So does knitting."

Alya sidled up beside the male best friends, a rueful smile on her lips. "They've been like this since I don't know when. I was in front of the school when they showed up walking together like this." she explained.

"She doesn't look intimidated to me." Adrien shot to Nino.

The DJ shrugged. "She was yesterday. Just goes to show that Marinette has tamed the beast."

"What beast? That guy was gone when he laid eyes on my girl." Alya boasted.

Nino rolled his eyes, and called out. "Hey Marinette."

She broke away from her argument with Eli to greet him back, only for her eyes to wander to Adrien. Then she began a halted, stuttering greeting for him. "H-hey, Adrien…"

"Hi, Marinette."

XXX

Elias prided himself on being an observant individual. Observant and proactive. Yesterday, after reviewing his actions towards his rival, he realized he was making her feel uncomfortable- well, in all the wrong ways. So he decided to soften his approach and try another plan of action. Hence their debate on pattern textures.

She preferred leather and jacquard, while he found himself fond of flock and ribbed. They both believed, however, that chiffon was overdone and tried.

She was insightful and opinionated, but willing to hear him out. They would be great rivals, indeed.

But seeing her now, in front of this familiar blond model, Eli found himself questioning whether everything was a mirage. One look at blondie and she became shy and reserved.

He nudged her lightly and she snapped out of it. "Oh, right, y-you were absent y-yesterday, s-so you didn't meet him. A-Adrien, this is Elias Argent. Eli, this is Adrien Agreste."

Suddenly it clicked. "As in son of Gabriel Agreste? The fashion empire?"

Adrien shrugged. "That's the one. Nice to meet you." He held out a hand.

Eli shook it. "You're the face of the teen line, correct? Do you have time, because I have some questions about the fall line-"

Adrien held up hands. "My dad gives me no input in the design aspect. Everything is top secret and confidential until the unveiling this summer."

Eli felt his shoulders sag. "Oh."

Mari bumped shoulders with him. "Hey, cheer up. I have some magazines from the Madrid Martinique Fusion line of Stephan Boulier we can gawk at for lunch."

He quirked a brow. "Are you inviting me for lunch?"

"Just bangaing your wounded designing spirit. Can't have my rival defeated so easily."

He smirked. "As if that will get me down. You're not getting off that easily, mon chere."

"I hope not. I need a challenge."

XXX

AK: This is just me joining the rest of my Miraculous Trash brethren with a fanfiction. DISCLAIMER: I am not a fashion/fabric expert. This is just me googling stuff. I'm sorry if I got some things wrong. I will try to be more accurate later. You can also find out more about this story via my blog:  blog/kawaiichoco1896 . Going to try and make this a regular thing. Don't worry, still working on other stories too.


	3. Chapter 3: Biscuits & Bellarinas

Adrien was a very happy kitty. Lunch hour was spent at the Dupain-Cheng Bakery for a change, after much wheedling and pestering of Nathalie, who promised calorie-burning workouts and supplements in return for the "cheat day he proquired. Translation: Tofu for dinner and an extra hour added to his fencing practice on Friday.

He didn't mind though as he ate another warm and toasty croissant. "Mmm, I love your parents' bakery Marinette." he said over a mouthful of buttery deliciousness.

"Glad to hear it, son." her father, Tom, called from the back.

Mari just blushed at the compliment, before Eli caught her attention about the Boulier design on the page. Both young designers had their heads together murmuring about the bold colors of the Martinique line. Alya, who boasted Martinique heritage, was also at their table, calling out inaccuracies in the design but mostly just "chaperoning", according to Nino. Why, Adrien did not know, but the blogger cared deeply about her friend apparently.

Adrien decided to go easy on the pastries in the end, but bought a couple for Nathalie and the Gorilla (he tried to be nicer to his bodyguard/driver since he sent him down an elevator shaft that one time). He also splurged on a cheese filled pastry for Plagg later.

Nino looked at him funny for buying three more cheese-filled puffs, but he covered it by claiming it was a snack for after his next modeling shoot after school that day.

On their way back to school, Mari was talking with Alya, leaving Eli free. He stared straight ahead, not trying to engage Nino pr Adrien in conversation.

Adrien tried to break the ice. "So, Eli…" he began, "What do you do for fun?"

"Sketch, read, watch cooking shows." Eli replied shortly.

"That's cool…" He tried again. "Play any sports?"

"I fenced a little in my old school. But I gave that up to put more time towards sketching."

Adrien was sensing a pattern here. "Do you want to sit in on our fencing class, today?"

"Not really." Eli said.

The girls were farther away, now, animated about something enough that their pace kicked frowned. He thought about something else to say. "What do you like to read?" Nino looked over at him funny, eyebrow raised.

"Fiction, fan fiction, sci-fi, science fiction, adventure, drama." More listing.

"Any stories you recommend? Something you like? Fan fiction-wise?" Adrien asked.

Eli looked at him from the side of his unusual blue eyes. The always seemed focused and mercurial between light blue and deep blue, like an ever changing ombre. "For you? Harry Potter's 'My Immortal'."

At that Adrien stopped. 'My Immortal'? What did he ever do to this guy?

"Um…"

Eli chuckled. "I'm just kidding, Agreste. Don't take it so personally. I'm not one for me-centric conversation, is all."

Adrien sighed, relieved. He didn't hate him. That was good; it would be kind of awkward if he hated him off the cuff like that. "Okay. Then let's talk about something else."

"Like what?" Eli asked.

"What do you think of Paris, so far?" Adrien asked.

Eli was silent for a moment. "It's okay, I guess, just kind of dull for the most part."

"Dull?"

"I need an edge to inspire me. I like designing with an edge in mind, you know? A kick. Something out there!" He seemed animated about it, pushing back his platinum locks from his face.

"Well-"

"AAAIIEEE!" a scream of fear rent the air, making Adrien turn to Eli in shock. Both guys sprint towards the sound, with Nino leading the way calling, "Alya! Babe? Alya?!"

It was an akuma attack, of course. And Alya was already live streaming commentary.

"This is your Ladyblogger extraordinaire, Alya Cesaire, live at the scene of the most recent outbreak of an akuma attack!"

"Akuma attack?" parroted Eli.

"Its this supervillain we have, Hawkmoth, he preys on people's dark emotions and twists them into powerful villains bent on destroying whatever made them feel negatively."

And this one was attacking the school. Great, Hawk moth, Adrien thought attacks like this, my dad will lock me in the house and never let me out until I'm thirty.

The akuma in question was a small looking girl in a dark teal long sleeve unitard with a black gossamer tutu skirt and fishnet nylons with dark teal ballet shoes laced up her legs. Her face was completely covered with a white make-up, making her pale as a sheet, her lips a pale teal, her cheeks blush pink, and her hair was a dark teal, pulled back in a severe bun.

"I am BELLERINA! Queen of the Dance, master of the art of forme! You made a mockery of me, relegating me to the chorus. I will be the star! And you will feel my wrath!"

She slowly began to spin, gaining speed as she aimed herself at the doors of the school. The dent she left in the school, steps belied her tiny size. The akuma was a spinning force of destruction

"Didn't the ballet parts get assigned today for the big showcase?" Mari asked Alya.

"Uh-huh, Mme. Sofie announced them before the lunch break. I guess someone didn't get the part they were hoping for…"

Adrien slowly began to make his departure from the group, patting his pocket to make sure Plagg was alerted to the problem.

"I think it's time the Dancer learned a more contemporary style." Adrien murmured, ducking into a private (and convenient, in retrospect) alley way. "Plagg, _transforme moi_!"

XXX

Marinette was trapped. Not in the conventional sense, but in the situational sense. When cement chunks started flying, Eli had grabbed her hand and tugged her away from the area, Now, he was holding her hand intently, looking up at the scene with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

"Eli, come on, we have to go back out there!" _So I can conveniently slip away and_ change, she silently added.

"This is way too dangerous."

"But Alya's still out there with Nino!" Mari pointed out "Let me go get her!"

"No, that's way too dangerous…" Eli denied.

Mari grumbled, until he said, "I'll go, you stay here."

Before she could protest, he was gone back into the fray. Mari released Tikki from her purse. "Oh no, he's going out there unprepared!" she lamented to her kwami.

"Then let's get Ladybug to steer him back into safety." her fairy-like partner suggested.

"Right. Tikki, _transforme moi_!"

In seconds, Mari was replaced by Ladybug and the heroine was on the move the moment the transformation set in.

XXX

Chat Noir did not do ballet. The occasional moonwalk, the running man, Gangnam-style, even some fancy shuffle, but a _fouette_? Now way did this cat _fouette_!

Somehow, he found himself backing away from the Bellarina as she did just that in his direction, tearing up the street like her dainty feet were drill bits.

Suddenly, his Lady's yoyo shot from the side and wrapped securely around his waist, pulling him from her destructive path. "Can I cut in, _mon chaton_?"

"By all means, my Lady. You know my dance card belongs to you." He grinned at his red-and-black partner's timey intervention. Her good luck had struck again.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Let me handle this primadonna. You clear the civilians, okay?"

He took off towards the groups of onlookers, which were mainly gathering around Alya and her blog feed. "Alya!" he yelled. "You've got to get out of here."

The ombre-haired blogger scoffed. "Yeah right, I might have missed yesterday's attack, but there is no way I'll give this up!"

He groaned. "Look Lois Lane, Ladybug and I cannot fight her and protect you at the same time." He looked to Nino, pleadingly.

Nino tried to persuade his girlfriend. "Think about it Alya, that last attack almost hit you and Mari. If it hadn't been for Eli and me, you two would be pancakes."

It almost hit Mari? Chat frowned. He didn't like the idea of his Princess in danger.

Alya pouted. "But it's safer now. She's not attacking the school building." Both boys stared at Alya drolly. "Fine, if it gets too dangerous, I'll go stay with Mari and Eli. But only if it gets that dangerous."

Chat didn't want a compromise, he wanted his friends safe. But before he could argue more, he heard a sharp, "Chat, a little help?"

He turned back to see Ladybug barely deflecting the sharp turns of Bellarina's _fourettes_. Man, was ballet dangerous! "I'm on my way, m'Lady!"

XXX

Eli skidded to a stop next to Alya and Nino. "We've got move!"

Alya barely glanced up. "I know, I need to get closer to the action. Better quality."

"Alya…" Nino warned.

"Kidding; I know, I promised Chat."

Eli groaned. "I mean, we gotta get out of here! It's dangerous."

Alya scoffed. "What danger? Chloe's thrown more dangerous tantrums that most akumas. Heck, Chloe was an akuma!"

What was up with Paris? Eli wondered. "It's not safe."

"Neither is being in the same class as Chloe, yet my mother insists I stay." Nino chuckled at that joke. "Look, this happens all the time. An akuma attacks, Ladybug and Chat Noir show up to save the day, Ladybug fixes everything and then the akuma is cured."

He looked to Nino who shrugged. "It's pretty repetitive…"

"Just watch, new kid. Ladybug and Chat Noir are going to school that dancing fiend."

XXX

Lucky Charm gave her a ribbon wand. The polka-dotted red ribbon taunted her with its seeming uselessness to the situation. She studied it, then the Bellarina and came to a conclusion. Chat had already used his Cataclysm to throw the akuma off balance and save some of Paris' pavement from her crater making grande jetes..

"Chat, grab the end and follow me!" She charged head first at the ballet-themed akuma, ribbon stretched between herself and Chat.

The spinning diva didn't register she was caught until the ribbon pulled taut around her small waist. "Cross over!" The two exchanged places and ran around her, ducking under and around each other until Bellarina was tied up and struggling to move. She tried to pirouette but fell on her butt, grunting.

"Guess your a little tied up right now, huh, Bellarina?" Smirked Chat.

Ladybug groaned and the akuma frowned at him. "Really Chat..."

Ladybug removed the Bellarina's shoes and ripped them, releasing the black butterfly. "You've been a very bad butterfly, _petite akuma_."

With flourish, she captured the akuma in her yoyo and smiled down at the face as she released the pure white butterfly, purified of evil. "Bye-bye, _petit papillon_."

The akuma transformed, revealing a student dressed in a leotard and tights with a puffy teal skirt. "Bien joue." Ladybug smiled at her partner, who met her fist in their traditional fist bump. Both of their Miraculouses chose that moment to go off. "We better split before the curtain closes, m'Lady." Chat purred. "Although, seeing who you really are wouldn't change a thing in my eyes."

"Oh really, kitty?" Ladybug swung her yoyo in an overhead arch, raising a brow at her partner.

"Of course not. I only have one primadonna in my life, and that is you, my Red Lady."

Smirking at his pick up line, she swung away, tossing behind her. "Until next time, _mon chaton_!"

XXX

AK: Ack! I spent all my time on this chapter and none of my other stories. Curse you Miraculous Fan-girling! Also, the akuma's name is Bellarina, a play on Bella and Ballerina. I know, lame. But her explanation gets lamer in the next chapter. Still, R & R as always. 3


	4. Chapter 4: Puns & Promises

It took about two more akuma attacks before Eli came to accept that Paris had a supernatural problem. Well, Mari amended, two more akuma attacks, a parade thrown in honor of Ladybug and Chat Noir, and a tour of the many ladybug themed kiosks around the Eiffel Tower. He, Nino and Adrien bought Chat Noir pun t-shirts, much to Alya and Mari's chagrin.

Actually, that was what Eli was wearing to school right now. He waved to the quartet of friends waiting at the steps as he stepped out of the limo. "Hey, check it out, bro!" Nino grinned, gesturing to himself and Adrien. "We match!"

Mari's heart and mind warred. Her heart hissed, See we could have totally couple-matched with Adrien and been well on our way to the Plan. Her mind insisted, We will compromise the Plan to avoid pandering to Chat's bad puns. The Plan consisted of, in Alya's opinion, a delusional series of unrelated events to which Mari fantasised. Heavily. To Mari, it was the three step program to how she and Adrien would end up married with Hugo, Emma and Louis.

Adrien, Eli and Nino all bumped fists and grinned at their matching pun shirts that proclaimed them to be "Paw-sitively Claw-some" with a winking Chat head framed between the two "words".

"We better get into class, or Mme. Bustier will have a fit." Alya motioned, hooking Nino's arm with hers.

"Sure, babe. Hey, should we get matching pun shirts too? Ladybug themed, of course."

Mari didn't have to see Alya's face to know the reaction. "Aw, that's cute. But no."

Mari giggled as she trailed behind her lovey-dovey friends on the way to class. She was smiling up until Chloe suddenly rocketed from nowhere and shoved her out of the way to glom onto both Eli and Adrien.

"Adri-kins! Eli-poo!"

"Eli-poo?!" Eli guffawed, glaring down at the bright yellow clad blond on his arm.

"We have to hang out after school today, Adri-kins. To show Eli-poo the finer side of Paris." Chloe bubbled in all her yellow glory.

A hand extended before Mari, and she saw it belonged to Nathaneal. "Merci, Nathanael." She accepted his hand up.

The red-headed artist blushed. "Don't worry about it." He shuffled off to class, leaving Mari pondering.

She really hadn't talked to Nathanael one-on-one since the whole "Evilustrator" thing. She got that he was morbidly embarrassed about the way he'd acted, but Mari didn't think anyone besides Chloe really held it against him.

"...Like I said, hands off!" Eli's voice groused, drawing Mari's attention back to the matter at hand.

"Chloe, please, don't be that way." cajoled Adrien at the entitled brat.

Chloe pouted. "But you always hang out with Nina and Alyn, and Mari-clod."

"It's Nin-o, Alya, and Marinette." Eli corrected.

"Besides, they're my friends, why wouldn't I hang out with them?" Adrien spared a glance at Mari and smiled.

Mari's heart took off to the stratosphere. He called her his friend….

"But I'm your childhood friend!" whined the blonde, sending Mair's heart back to earth.

After a moment of intense whining, Adrien solemnly nodded. "Okay, I'll come over tomorrow. I don't have practice or anything. Eli?"

"Oh no-"

"Please, Adri-kins. I just want to be friends with Eli-poo. Ever since he came I've been trying my hardest-"

By threat-begging, Mari silently added, entering the classroom and effectively taking herself away from the sordid display of whining. FInally, when the two boys (and one brat) entered the room, Eli looked smug, Adrien looked tense, and Chloe stomped over to Mari and Alya's desk. Mari looked puzzled. Alya looked ready to do verbal battle.

"You three are coming to my house tomorrow. Wear something presentable and don't do anything weird. My dad's the mayor and if I say so, he'll have you deported." With that, Chloe went back to her seat next to Sabrina.

Alya and MAri shared a look with class began. "What just happened?"

XXX

"You made her what?" Alya screeched at Ei, making everyone in the vicinity turn their way. Mari was just as dumbstruck as her best friend. The small quartet of friends were in the school yard, on the steps. Adrien had a modeling gig for the rest of the day, making him conveniently absent from the unveiling of the news.

It was gym time and the coach was currently leading the boys fencing team in a demonstration. "Parre, Baptiste, parre!" he bellowed.

"I made her invite my friends along. You didn't think I would actually go into the Lair of the Blonde without backup did you?" Eli smirked.

"YES! Be a man!" Ayla went to sock him in the arm.

"Ouch! Nino, your girlfriend's dangerous."

Nino smiled dreamily. "I know…" When Mari and Eli gave him a weird look, he coughed. "But seriously dude, Chloe's house? The last time I was there was for a forced birthday party, 'honoring' Chloe."

Marinette remembered that party two years ago. "I remember that. She made us all play this game called 'Who's the Most Important?' The answer was always Chloe."

Eli shrugged. "What? You want me to go by myself?" he leaned into Mari, pouting like a puppy. "You know you'd never let me suffer you, Mari-pie?"

Mari frowned and pushed lightly at his forehead. "No way."

"But Mari…Alya?"

The Martinique blogger shook her head. "No way. You're on your own."

Eli sighed. "Then I guess Adrien's on his own, too. I only agreed to go if you guys come. So now Adrien will be alone at Chloe's house…"

Mari twitched. "Adrien's definitely going?"

Eli hummed noncommittally. "Maybe…"

Alya rested a hand on the jittery girl's shoulder. "No. We're not going."

Nino groaned. "I can't leave my bros hanging. I'll go."

"Merci, Nino." The two bumped fists.

Mari frowned and looked to Alya. Her best friend shook her head. "We are totally not going. Just to have Chloe tear you down? No way."

XXX

"Please, Mari. Please, please, please?"

Mari was currently working on a new skirt design inspired by the Mermaid themed akuma of last week. An incensed performer at a traveling troupe had been akuma-tized into Aquatica, and terrorized Paris with killer clams and a surprisingly agile Dogfish.

The long shimmering fabric she was molding into a high-low skirt was breath-taking. So much so that for three days, Mari had labored over how to approach the design and whether it was worth cutting into the cerulean-sea-foam toned cloth.

"No, Eli." Mari stressed. "I am totally not going to Chloe's house with you guys."

"Come on. Please?" Eli whined over the phone. "I'll do whatever you want. Please? You know you want to show her up at her house."

"Yeah, but I'm a clutz, and she knows me, so it's highly unlikely that she would be shown up. " Mari paused in her hemming. "Why do you hate her anyway?"

Eli sighed deeply over the line. "She followed me to my mom's location shoot for a movie promo. You know that fall weather romance coming out next year? La Septembre du Coeur? She set the shoot back for a few days with her annoying attitude, "

Mari gasped. "She didn't!"

"She did. And that means my mom's away for longer… So please?"

Mari contemplated it, "You'll do anything?" It would be nice to have a favor in the future.

"Anything within my power, Mari-pie. You say jump, I'll ask how high."

"Fine, I'll go." Mari sighed.

"One more thing."

Mari frowned. "I'm listening…"

"See if you can convince Alya too. I'd hate for my boy Nino to go without his girl."

Mari sighed. "Okay…"

"You won't regret this, Mari! Thank you,"

The call ended there and Mari stared at her phone. "I hope not."

XXX

Chat found his lady oddly distracted during patrol today. The night was quiet and he'd managed to steer their patrol route to a nearby garden alive with the colors of spring. "Is something on your mind, M'Lady?"

She smiled at him, contently. "I'm fine, mon minou." His dream girl sighed again a few moments later.

He stepped in front of her and rested both hands on her shoulders. "My Lady, you know you can tell me everything and anything. And since you insist on anonymity with our relationship, you know it won't come back to haunt you."

His lady looked ready to brush him off but he pressed, "Please, talk to me."

"I...let a friend of mine pressure me into doing something I think I'll regret later."

Chat frowned. "Is it something bad? Do you need help?"

She laughed. "Nothing so dramatic… Just… It puts me in an uncomfortable sinuation."

"More comfortable than being around me and my egg-cellent puns?"

She smirked. "Oh please, there aren't even any eggs…"

He gestured to the billboard featuring an egg-shaped jewel carrier bauble being advertised by a museum.

"Touche, mon minou." Then she looked around and noticed where they were. "Flowers, Chat? Really?"

"Well I was certain a bug of your discerning taste would appreciate a short break." He smiled. "Now talk. I think you oak me an explanation, m'Lady."

Ladybug looked exasperated by the pun but explained. "I have to be in close proximity with someone I really want to make a good impression on, and someone I know will do anything to make me fail. Not to mention, I'm fairly clumsy…"

"When you're not leaping from grand heights and cart-wheeling circles around akumas."

"Exactly." Ladybug sighed. "It's just so hard… When I'm hero-ing. It seems so easy to be brave and graceful…The mask is really cathartic"

Chat frowned. "So just channel the mask."

She frowned. "That won't work."

"Just in short bursts; have you ever tried it?" She looked pensive before sheepishly shaking her head. "Iris my case, then." He presented her with a blue violet bloom of said plant.

"Chat seriously, where do you get these pun? They are awful!" his lady laughed.

"Don't you mean…"

"Chat, no! I swear-"

"Paw-ful?"

She groaned as he laughed. He knew she liked his puns, deep inside.

"Lets' finish our patrol, so I can get away from your cheesy puns." She whipped out her yoyo, a new light in her movements.

"And my advice?"

She looked at him over her shoulder. "I'll take it with a grain of salt, mon minou. Now let's go. The south side of Paris is calling."

And so Chat followed his newly revived lady into the night.

XXX

AK: I really wish more happened in this chapter but this is literally just a prequel for what is to come. Don't despair my fellow Miraculous Sinners, there will be more to come, especially LadyNoir, and MariChat. R&R, s'il vous plait!


	5. Chapter 5: Cloth & Chloe

Chapter 5:

"Wow, Marinette you look cute today." Rose commented as the bluenette walked into class, flanked by Alya.

"Yeah, _super_ cute." Kim grinned. He gave a wolf whistle too, only to be hit on the head by Alix.

Mari blushed. "Merci, Rose, Kim." Did she really look that different today? She wondered this as she took her seat.

After getting back from patrol as Ladybug and with Chat's oddly great advice in her head, she'd planned an outfit for the big visit to Chloe's, with input from Tikki. At the moment, she wore a high-waisted thigh length soft gray skirt with a sedate pink quarter-sleeve shirt embroidered with a cursive "L'Amour". Her usual dark gray jacket was swapped for a white denim vest. Her red hair ribbons were swapped for matching pink hair ribbons. She wore her usual ballet flats adorned her feet and her usual side bag, complete with Tikki and a small cache of cookies rested at her side.

"Big plans after school today?" Juleka asked.

Mari looked to Alya who frowned at her."Well…"

"Well, I see you tried to look presentable," sneered Chloe from her seat. Her eyes assessed Mari's outfit in one sweep. "It's no better than what you usually wear."

Mari ignored that jab, instead taking her seat. Alya followed her. "See?" Alya hissed low under her breath. "This is why we should leave Eli and the boys to their doom with stupid Chloe."

It had taken copious amounts of pleading, begging and bribery to get Alya to agree to come with them to Chloe's. If there was a set limit on best friend favors, Mari was sure she'd have maxed out for a month.

"I can handle Chloe. I know I can. I've done it before. I just need to remember that this is about making sure Chloe doesn't mess with our guys, and Eli."

Alya smirked. "So now Adrien is your guy?"

Mari blushed even deeper. "It's a work in progress…"

" _Bonjour_ , Marinette. What's a work in progress?" asked Adrien, just entering the class and taking his seat.

"Adrien! Good us- I mean, good morning, Adrien…" Mari flustered. "I was talking about… this outfit! It's a work in progress. Just thought I'd test it out today…"

Adrien smiled. "I think its cute."

" _M-merci_ , Adrien…" Mari fidgeted in her seat as her best friend watched with a smirk. She dreamily watched him chat with Nino about the events of the modeling gig from yesterday.

"You totally wore that to look good for Adrien, didn't you?" Alya whispered conspiratorially.

"No!" Mari whispered back. "Just a little… But I did want to test it out. I really like the way the design of this skirt came out."

"Hmm…" her best friend wasn't buying it.

The rest of the day was full of compliments on her outfit, some from upperclassmen and others from the assistant art instructor Theo Barbeau. She was bubbling with happiness and euphoria, by the time math rolled around.

Eli came late to school, but he had an excuse. He went to his seat in the back, near Nathanael. A few moments into class, Mari's phone vibrated. She looked down to see it was a text from Eli.

 **E: Like the outfit. The skirt would look better w/cardigan tho ;)**

Mari rolled her eyes and sent a quick reply.

 **M: That's a date look. This is a trip to the Brat's Lair. Vest works for this.**

Mme. Mendeleiev chose that moment to reprimand Chloe for texting and Mari stealthily slipped her phone back into her bag. As Chloe argued that she was simply texting her driver to be ready after school.

"This is totally _ridicule_! Ridicule!" Chloe pouted as Mendeleiev continued with her lesson, confiscating her phone.

XXX

Adrien glanced over, not for the first time, at Mari as she gazed at Chloe's room. It was pretty huge, fitting Mari's room in it three times over.

 _But I still prefer Mari's room to this mausoleum_ , Adrien thought to himself, remembering the warmth of the Dupain-Cheng household.

"Mademoiselle Bourgeois, your snacks are here." a maid said from the doorway.

Chloe dismissed the older woman with a flick of her hand. "Sabrina, bring the snacks over here. You are going to love this Eli-poo-" Eli and the rest of the gang winced at the nickname. "-I've got the best pastries in Paris. My chef is world-class."

Eli plucked a cream puff from the tray Sabrina wheeled in front of the quintet of friend and tossed it into his mouth without preamble. Adrien simply went with a fluffy looking croissant that was heavier than it looked. He tore off a piece and popped it in his mouth, only to find himself frowning. It tasted-

"Too sweet!" Eli exclaimed, grabbing a napkin to spit it out into. "Gross!"

"It can't be!" Chloe gasped.

"Really?" Alya and Mari picked a danish to share, after chewing it for a moment, forcibly swallowed the bites. "It tastes like someone mixed too much sugar into this filling." Alya grimaced. Given their danish was a cream cheese and strawberry one, the result would be disgusting.

Mari had her fingers pressed to her lips and was staring at the pastry, hard. As a baker's daughter, she was probably affronted.

"Well don't trust you!" Chloe picked up a cream puff and took a bite. "Ew! This is disgusting!" Chloe marched over to the phone and called down to the kitchen. Trepidation filled Adrien. He had a bad feeling Chat Noir was going to be necessary after this.

"Chlo, don't do anything too rash…" Adrien warned. He tried using her old nickname to soften her up.

"Oh, I'm perfectly calm, Adri-kins! Perfectly! Calm!" she seethed,before turning her attention to the kitchen staff. "Send the person responsible for these pastries up here right now!" A moment passed. 'I want them in my room, yesterday!"

Adrien winced. "It could just be a simple mistake, Chloe."

"A mistake my father, the mayor, does not pay this peon for!" ranted Chloe as Sabrina tried to comfort the distraught heiress.

A few minutes later, a stoic young woman came into Chloe's room, followed by the sous chef. Alya's mother was out sick for the day. "Is this the person responsible?" Choe demanded.

The sous-chef hesitated but nodded grimly. He knew he was signing the death warrant of a young career.

The blonde attack with ferocious tenacity- something Adrien thought Chloe only had for shopping and Ladybug.

"You stupid, untalented, no-good sorry excuse for a pastry chef!" She jabbed her finger at the young woman without preamble.

"I'm sorry?" the young chef frowned.

"You are fired! FIRED! These pastries are disgusting! You made my Adri-kins and Eli-poo barf with this garbage!"

The chef shook her head. "I don't understand. I-I was told to come up here to get the tray. I never-" She looked to her boss, but he looked away. "What's going-"

"You are finished in the culinary industry. Just wait until I tell my father about this. It's like trying to poison the princess of Paris."

Paris hadn't had a princess since before the Sun King, Louis XIV, Adrien thought, dread filling his chest. The woman looked confused and teary-eyed, never a good sign with people like Hawk Moth waiting in the wings.

"B-but I didn't…" the woman looked ready to cry.

"Chloe, please, think rationally…" cautioned Mari, a worried look on her face.

"Shut up! I don't want to see your worthless face in here again! You are fired!"

The woman left the room in tears. "Wait!" Mari rushed after her, probably to comfort the woman. Mari was kind that way.

"Ugh, totally _ridicule_! Well she's gone now. Get me _better_ snacks!" she said as she dismissed the remaining chef.

"That wasn't very cool, Chloe." Nino frowned.

"Yeah, i mean it was one mistake." Eli chimed in.

Chloe pouted. "My father said that mistakes like that cannot be mistakes. Everything was too sweet or heavy. I am totally not wrong in this. Totally not wrong!"

XXX

The Bourgeois brat was soo wrong! Colette Dechant thought to herself as she rushed away in tears.

The shining star of the Paris Culinary Academy, she'd been snatched up in a heartbeat by the Mayor of Paris after winning the esteemed Golden Ladle on the international cooking show World Wide Kitchen. Had the brat even let her speak she would have informed her that she hadn't even touched the pastries set to the brat's room.

She couldn't have, seeing as how she'd been getting the secret ingredient for tonight's dinner- seaweed. Tonight had been her's, to choose the entree for the hotel. She'd decided to do a Japanese inspired dish.

As she got into the elevator, she saw a girl chasing after her. One of Chloe's friends- the bluenette girl. She hastily shut the door.

Colette sobbed in the solitary confinement of her elevator, digging from the confines of her pockets a small charm bracelet. Now she would never fulfill her aunt's dream of being head chef at the Hotel du Paris. "Desole, Mama Helene..." she sobbed. She didn't notice the black butterfly that flew into her braclet. She only lifted her head when a voice, so alluring and tempting whispered in her ears.

" _Hello_ _ **Chef Calamity**_ _, I am Hawk Moth,"_

"Hawk Moth…"

" _You've been burned in your last occupation, but no longer… This time, you will show them your mettle in the kitchen."_

"Yes, I will…"

" _And all I ask for are two small ingredients for my own masterpiece: the Miraculouses of Ladybug and Chat Noir."_

"I will bring them post haste." Colette said affirmatively as her transformation took over.

XXX

Mari ran after the young chef's elevator, only to see it start to descend. She groaned and turned down the hall to the next elevator. opening her bag and releasing Tikki just in case. "Do you think the head chef got it wrong?" Tikki asked.

"I live with bakers. I know bakers. She was definitely not a baker! At least not today." Mari told Tikki.

"Then who-" Tikki suddenly ducked into Mari's pigtails as they came across the sous chef hissing into a phone.

"-not covering for you again! She got fired because of your rookie mistake." he growled. "This is the last time, Maurice!"

"Maurice?" Mari parroted stepping forward.

"Ah-umm, you're one of Chloe's friends…"

"What did you just say? Were you covering for someone in there? Don't lie to me, I heard everything." bluffed Mari.

The older man looked around for a way to escape the small teen but found himself sighing in reluctance. "Colette, the girl Mademoiselle Bourgeois fired, didn't bake anything on that tray. It was all my younger brother, Maurice. When the call came in, I panicked and he had the brilliant idea to frame Colette. I don't think he likes her much…"

Mari folded her hands in front of her. "And you didn't think it would get her fired. You're the sous-chef, you should know how high strung Chloe is."

"I do but…"

"Then you've got to tell Chloe and get Colette's job back. It's not fair she gets punished for you two."

"I guess…" The older man sighed. "I guess I should. I mean, this isn't the first time Maurice has slipped up…" He gave a decisive nod. "I will. Let me get Colette so she can hear it too."

Mari followed. "I'll come too." She had a bad feeling this was going to require Ladybug help.

XXX

AK: Here's a two-for, because for the next two weeks, I'll have to put everything on pause for my final exams. College… R&R


	6. Chapter 6: Elevators & Stairs

Chapter 6: Elevators & Stairs

Adrien had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that Chat Noir would have to make an appearance soon at the Grand Paris Hotel. "Hey, Mari's kind of late…" Eli noticed. "Maybe I should go get her."

Adrien perked up. Having both Eli and Mari wandering around the hotel would make his and Ladybug's efforts to purify the akuma much harder. Better Chat get his princess out of danger before the akuma-du-jour decided she was fair game."I'll go get her. She probably got lost."

"I can go." Eli protested.

"I know the hotel better than you. If you both get lost, it could mean, uh, missing out on Chloe's interesting story about Milan's fashion week."

Chloe perked at the mention of herself and Milan. "Oh yes, Eli-poo, I must tell you about the amazing dress _maman_ bought me. Right off the runway! A _Patiste_ original."

Adrien winced as he crept away slowly, noticing Eli's face paling at the mention of Puke-tiste. Even if he wasn't the most devoted fashion expert in the world- that honor he secretly gave to his princess- he was definitely aware of the monstrous creations that spawned from Chloe's favorite abstract designer. His work was lauded as "cutting edge" and "art for motion", but it honestly looked as if the guy was color-and-pattern blind. Seriously, even Lady Gaga wouldn't wear his Ode to the Food Pyramid dress!

He made it to the hallway just as Alya was beginning to rip into Chloe for off-handedly putting down Mari's outfit. He would have loved to stay and defend his quiet friend, but he had a feeling Alya had it covered, in spades.

He reached the supply closet down the hall and released Plagg from his shirt pocket. His black kwami flew out in a huff. " _Mon dieu_! If I have to keep listening to that blond girl tirades, I'll go def. I'm adding extra cheese to your bill." He floated in front of the kid's face, pouting and huffy. No one could ever call Plagg a happy kitty- mostly because not many people knew about him.

"No time for negotiation, Plagg. I think we have a brewing akuma on our hands." the blond model told his partner. "Plagg, CLAWS OUT!" He punched out his fist.

"Wait, wait- At least give me cheese! I'll sue-" The black kitty creature was sucked into Adrien's silver ring and the boy felt the change take over him. The magic raced over his torso and limbs, culminating in his hands, and forming the claws that he loved to use to defend Paris- and his Lady.

Suited up in his leather armor, he burst from the closet, ready to save his princess from the looming danger. He searched the floor and found nothing. Figuring he could head her off with the stairs, if he ran at top speed, he burst into the stairwell. Only to find Mari rushing up the stairs, partially dragging the bewildered sous chef from Chloe's room. " _Purr-incess_ -" he began, his natural Chat Noir behavior kicking in.

"Move it, kitty. Akuma right behind us!" she growled, shoving the chef in front of her.

Chat frowned. Until a tidal wave of cheese geysered from the stairs, almost coating the trio. "Whoa!"

Mari cried, "Don't let it touch you! You'll get coated and won't be able to move!"

He obediently heeded her words, ushering the duo through the doors into the floor he'd just vacated.

"Get back here, Lafayette!" a voice snarled.

"What?"

"It's Colette- the girl Chloe fired. She's been akuma-tized into the Chef Calamity. She's taking revenge for being wrongfully fired!" She shot a glance at their chef friend. " _Someone_ owes her an apology!" Chat blinked as she made the chef look guilt-stricken. He'd never seen this side of his sweet little designing princess. He'd had maybe a peek working with her to cure the Evillustrator, but he didn't think _Adrien_ had had the pleasure… Maybe a glimpse back when Chloe tried to put down her great-uncle? He was intrigued.

Suddenly, a cloud of spices started filling the hallway. Chat and his civilians paused to sniff. "Is that…"

"Cumin?" the chef identified, before groaning.

"Oh no!" Mari groaned. "Run faster!"

Chat once again found himself running after his very bossy princess. The chef tripped over antray left in the hall and Mari paused to help him. "Get up!" she urged.

A cloud of faint brown dust creeped up his leg. "It's too late for me, run!" he told Mari.

"No, you have to- CHAT!?" Chat hoisted his less-than-cooperative damsel in distress into his arms and rushed down the hall to an elevator.

Dumping her inside, he ordered. "Stay put until Ladybug and I handle the situation."

"But-"

"Please, princess…"

"But I-"

"Marinette if you're going to make this difficult… CATACLYSM!" The black aura of his special attack engulfed his hands and he pressed it lightly to the control panel. Immediately, sparks started flying and the door slid closed. "CHAT NOI-" She got cut off by the door. He ignored the banging.

He stood back for a moment, pleased with himself. Worked out better than the last time he trapped someone in an elevator… Now, he thought, turning his attention back to the slowly filling hallway, back to his akuma-du-jour…

XXX

Marinette banged her fist against the door of elevator, growling in frustration. "Stupid Chat!"

Tikki flew from her hair, a convenient hiding place, given she'd dropped her bag running up the stairs.

"Marinette, we don't have time for this! Chat;s out there fighting the unknown." her partner reminded her. "Not to mention he used Cataclysm just now."

That meant Chat only had about five minutes before he changed back. Mari sighed. "You're right. Tikki, SPOTS ON!" The magic of the transformation sent a rush of tingles over Mari's body. Her black-spotted costume raced over her normal clothes, turning ordinary Marinette into Ladybug the super heroine of Paris. In uniform, Ladybug inspected her options for getting out. "Well, without my bag a Luck Charm is out of the question… Guess the only way is up."

There wasn't much room in the elevator for a running start, but her enhanced flexibility and leg strength gave her the boost she needed to kick the cover off the top of the elevator. Landing smartly on the elevator floor, she whipped out her yoyo to hook a higher point. Yanking herself to freedom, she muttered, "Chat and I have to talk about boundaries later."

XXX

AK: So this chapter is a little bit shorter than most. R&R, please!


	7. Chapter 7: Smart mouth & Dumb mouth

Chapter 7: Smart mouth & Dumb mouth

After acquiring a makeshift mask for the cumin fog, Chat went to find out as much about the akuma as he could. He was running out of time already. Three minutes left till he was Adrien again, and Ladybug had yet to show. He hoped she showed soon, but with his natural bad luck, he was bound to jinx it.

Chat found his akuma surrounded by zombified victims of what he believed to be the cumin fog. There were wait-staff from the restaurant, bellhops from all floors, and the front desk clerk from the first floor. Most importantly, there were lots of cooks and chefs in the mix. In the thick of it was a deviously smiling chef. In lieu of Colette smart light brown chignon, Calamity's hair was in twin stubby tails of bright orange. A chef's hat was perched in between on her head like a outfit was a mix of drill sergeant and chef Barbie- a hot pink chef's coat over an olive drab patterned dress, with hot pink boots to complete the look. A criss-crossed belt of spice-jars and cooking utensils- thankfully, no knives- hugged her chest and she held a cheese stained ladle over a holster on her waist.

"Yes, you all love my cooking, no! Chef Calamity is the greatest!" She cheered for herself amidst the zombified staff and patrons. "And no one can stop me!"

Chat chose that moment to jump in. "Table, party of crazy?" He muffling of the mask made the pun barely audible. "No wait, wait- I've got a better one: did someone order a butt-kicking platter?"

"Get him! And bring me his Miraculous!" she ordered as the eerie violet outline-mask of Hawkmoth glowed over her own hot pink one.

The zombies, as one, moved as one after Chat as he led them away from Calamity. "You guys really like to dine-and-dash." he called over his shoulder at the zombified chasers. His ring gave a resounding beep as he rounded the corner, transforming back to Adrien. "Crap, crap, crap…" he muttered as he shoved an exhausted Plagg back into his shirt pocket. If he could make it to the kitchen…

The zombies rounded the corner and Adrien tensed. _Now what?_ He thought this as he readied himself to fence through the crowd with a discarded mop.

"Adrien, duck!" a familiar voice called.

He obeyed and a curtain of white fell over the first few in the crowd. And then another one over the dozen or so behind them. It went on for a moment before Sheets, he swung overhead dropping sheet. Crazily, it worked. The zombies groaned and moaned, but they couldn't get out of the freshly laundered trap. Ladybug landed in front of him. "A-adrien, are you okay?" she asked.

Adrien nodded, feeling heat creep up his cheeks. "C-ca va, mais… Ladybug, there's still cumin in the air. Take this." he handed her the mask he'd rummaged up for her as Chat.

"Merci, Adrien." She took it almost reverently. "But wait. Why are you here?"

"I, uh, came looking for a friend of mine, Marinette. She ran after the lady who was akuma-tized. Colette."

"I-I see…" She looked a bit happy but pained when he told her this. "Let's get you to safety. An then I'll go secure your other friends."

He frowned. "How did you know I had other friends here?" Was his lady psychic and not telling him?

"I-I heard from Marinette. After I saved her from the elevator Chat put her in." She looked pissed at that. He made a mental note to apologize as Chat Noir to his princess when this was all over. "She also told me about some of the other tricks up this akuma's sleeve."

Adrien nodded. That was smart, getting info. He probably should have listened. Next time, he thought, then frowned. No, no next time. No more putting princess in dangerous situations. No matter how well she seemed to take them…

Ladybug suddenly grabbed his hand, cutting off his train of thought. He blushed, looking at their intertwined hands.

"We have to go."

"I'll go anywhere with you…" he breathed, dreamy eyed.

"W-what?" she looked at him, red faced. He said that aloud? Crap...

"I-I mean, y-you're Ladybug, so…" he hastened to cover his tracks.

"Right, right…" Let's get you somewhere safe. I don't think the sheet will hold them long." Ladybug turned away from him for a second before turning back, a little redder than before. "I-I'm going to need to hold you to take you over the cumin zombies."

Adrien blinked once. Twice. And eagerly nodded his head. Get to touch his Lady and not be reprimanded? Yes! Now all he needed was for her to reveal herself to him and her secret undying love and his life would be complete. He scoffed to himself. "Like that would ever happen…"

Suddenly they weren't holding hands anymore. "Desole… I didn't know touch was-"

He gaped at the hurt look on her face. He'd spoken out loud again? Ugh, what was wrong with his brain? "No, no, I would be honored. I was just thinking- about if the akuma won. And then I laughed at the thought, because you're Ladybug and you always save the day!"

She gave him a small smile. "Chat and I always save the day. We're a great team."

"The best team!" Adrien agreed. "So… Should I hold onto you, or, um uh…"

"Yeah, this is where it get's weird…" She suddenly hoisted him into her arms in the… OMG, I'm being princess-carried by m'Lady, his inner fanboy screamed.

"Hold onto me tight!" Ladybug instructed before lassoing the overhead lamp fixture to get them across the flood of zombie victims. He smiled to himself. So far being just Adrien in the situation was paying off.

XXX

So not cool, not cool. Eli thought this to himself as he ventured beyond the door of Chloe's room. She'd finally stopped the story of the dress from hell- sorry, Patiste's crazy mind- about three minutes ago.

She wasn't done. Oh no, not by a long shot. There were about four more parts to the story, one detailing the train of the garish ensemble. But Chloe, the attention hog that she was (he had another word for it, but his mother taught him to be polite, so hog, for now…) noticed Adrien was missing (and on a side note, Mari too) and called down to see where he was. When she got no reply from the front desk, Nino had all but tackled Alya to ensure she stayed in the room while Sabrina consoled a weeping Chloe.

He saw the hallway saw deserted, not a good sign considering there were trays of half eaten or barely touched sweets outside doors.

He poked his head back into the room. "Guys, I think we have a problem."

"What. Is. It?" Nino grunted as he wrestled Alya's phone away from her. But being the blogger that she was, she simply swiped his and keyed in the pass code and started scrolling to camera. "Alya…"

Suddenly the door burst in and Ladybug scanned the room.

"Ladybug," they all exclaimed.

"We have to get you guys to safety. Now!"

Chloe immediately glommed onto the super heroine and Eli felt a pang of sympathy for her. He knew the pain of Chloe's shrieking voice.

"Ladybug! You _have_ to save my Adri-kins! He went after this _girl_ in my class- Mari-clod-"

"Mari _nette_!" everyone but Sabrina corrected.

"And now he's missing! If you're here that means an akuma is attacking, right? You have to save him!"

Ladybug peeled herself from Chloe's unwanted embrace and informed her. " _Adrien_ is safe, and so is Marinette. I made sure of that when I found them on the way up here. Tucked away on the roof, as we speak."

"So where are going?" Alya asked as she streamed live. Nino had apparently given up and given her back her phone, the little ladybug charm hanging freely from the end.

"Down. To the reception area. It should be safest. The cumin powder has cleared out of the hall so it should be safe to walk around. Quietly follow me."

They filed from the room after the red-and-black heroine, and for the first few floors, they avoided incidents. Then the third floor came. Chloe screamed, "Oh, no!"

They all turned to the blond. _Please let it not be stupid, please, please…_ Eli begged the higher powers that wrote time to please make it a worthwhile screech. His pleas yielded crap.

"I'm wearing last season's shoes. I _have_ to change. Ladybug, we _must_ turn back."

"I honestly don't think you fully understand the concept of 'have' and 'must'." Eli hissed.

"What?" Chloe pouted at the aspiring designer. "Ladybug understands, right?"

Ladybug scowled. "No, I don't. We are trying to escape. As long as those shoes can get you from here to the first floor, you're fine."

"What? But I need to look my best when I go out!"

Eli frowned. "Then that highlighter yellow dress was a bad choice."

"Besides, I'm live streaming Chloe. The world has already seen you." Alya grinned.

Chloe lunged for the blogger at once, breaking formation and going for the phone. "Give me that! You cannot show that!"

"Already." Grunt. "Am!" Alya and Chloe tussled loudly, with the rest of the group trying to get them to stop.

"Guys…" Sabrina murmured. "Chloe…Chloe...Alya..."

The whole group turned to see what had the auburn-headed girl so spooked. It was a small group of zombified patrons. One wore a Paris Hotel bathrobe from the spa and another was casually dressed for jogging. His headphones dragged on the floor behind him, linked to his phone that was jammed in his pocket.

"Other way!" hissed Ladybug.

The group moved in reverse but found another squad of zombies coming after them in the same direction. Caught in the middle, Ladybug forced her way between the kids and the the zombies.

Then a voice from above drawled, "Well, well, well… Look what we have here?"

XXX

AK: I know, cliffhangers suck. But I'm still doing it. Back from hiatus with a two-for for my fans. R&R.


	8. Chapter 8: Chats & Charms

Chapter 8: Chats & Charms

"Chat Noir!" Sabrina exclaimed brightly at the sight of the leather clad hero.

Chat dropped down from a vent, bowing gallantly to Ladybug, even as he toppled the squad of zombies coming at them. "M'Lady, and companions."

Ladybug sighed, her tension easing a bit though. " _Mon chaton_ , where have you been?" she demanded.

"Aw, you were worried about me?" Chat grinned.

Yes. "No," she scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. " I was worried about the civilian you trapped in the elevator, and what I would tell her if this stupid kitty got himself victimized, _again_."

"Oh…" That made his ears droop, but she tapped down the feeling of guilt as it rose in her.

She clapped her hands together to snap Chat from his funk. They did not have time for this. "Okay, let's go, people. I'm getting you all out of here before the Spice Queen returns."

"It's Chef Calamity!" screeched the aforementioned akuma.

Ladybug blocked the spice grenade she hurled at the group and yelled to Chat, "Get them out of here!"

"You got it, m'Lady." she heard him reply.

Ladybug bound and hurled zombies at each other, wincing as she heard them collapse on each other. She really hoped it didn't hurt them, but that if it did, Miraculous Cure could alleviate it some. Calamity seemed to be cooking in midair without a pot, mixing spices with ingredients she seemed to pull from nowhere in the air. An uncooked chicken, bell peppers and browning all swirled in the air with a battery of spices and seasonings. This was a very delicious- deadly, Ladybug amended- attack.

" _Mon dieu..._ get them out of here _yesterday_ , Chat!" Ladybug cried, a feeling of dread in her stomach. She glanced over to see they were almost to the stairwell. Ladybug grabbed a turned over chair from the hall and shored up the rear.

"But I never take the stairs!" whined Chloe from the back of the group.

"You do now, if you don't want to get spiced like a Cajun cookout!" Alya shoved the blond ahead of her into the stairwell and dove in. Ladybug followed as well, pausing only to shove the chair under the handle and jam the mechanism with her yo-yo when the door rattled.

"Okay, let's get you guys to safety." Ladybug sighed.

XXX

That was easier said than done, Ladybug realized later as she and Chat confronted Chef Calamity later.

Alya had been obsessed with recording them fighting, and until Ladybug promised an exclusive interview (and Nino confiscated her phone, again) the blogger had not stopped moving towards the door to follow them. Chloe had clung to her like lint on a sock, and that had taken Sabrina and Eli to get her off. Eliciting a promise from the duo to "protect" the heiress seem to work on her.

And now, Ladybug and Chat found themselves a floor up from the lobby, fending off zombies and Calamity.

Chat grimaced at the amount of people between them and Calamity. All zombified, and all victims… Ladybug knew that it was plaguing the little kitty that they had to

"Still no _diced_ on where the akuma might be, m'Lady?" Chat punned as they ducked under a medley of vegetables.

"Ugh...Nothing!" Ladybug growled, lacing her yoyo string between the legs of the attacking victims and yanking, hard. The crowd toppled in on itself and she winced as one guy fell headfirst into a mop bucket. "That's gotta reek…" she muttered.

The victim's head snapped up and he looked around, panicked. "Wai- What am I doing here?"

Ladybug frowned as the babbling former zombie pressed himself into the wall to avoid his former comrades in spice.

"Chat, hit the fire sprinklers!" Ladybug ordered.

"You mean with a-"

"Not that, just whack the heads off the sprinklers with your staff or something. Go!" She whipped her yoyo over head, knocking off two sprinkler tops, while Chat did his cat thing.

In moments the halls were soaked and victims of the spicing were snapping out of their trance.

"Noooo!" hissed Calamity, spreading more sice. But the water neutralized it to a cumin clump on the carpet, infuriating the akuma even further.

"Give it up, Calamity." Ladybug urged.

"Never!" growled the akuma. "I'll have my vengeance served-" A violet mask once again appeared on her face and her lips drew into a thin line. WIth a sharp nod, she was back into the stairs.

Chat and Ladybug shared a brief look before they took off after her.

"Think she's _clamming up_ on us, Buginette?" Chat grinned as he dodged a spout of clam chowder that Calamity sent at them.

"Don't call me that, and don't make such awful puns." Ladybug chastised her partner.

"You're right, I _gouda_ done better." Chat snickered.

"I swear…" she groaned, refusing to smile at the last one.

Finally, their chase ended on the roof. The same one Ladybug had taken Adrien to. "Where's Adrien?"

XXX

Chat winced at the urgency of her voice. "He's probably safe on another floor." he consoled her, already planning a story for this one.

She didn't look like she bought it, but when Calamity started whipping up some fancy sauce- literally sauce!- she snapped out of it to get engarde.

"My, well this akuma is-"

"Chat…" Ladybug warned.

"-getting a little-"

"Chat, don't…"

The sauce, a white cream based sauce with flecks of shuriken-shaped carrots, and grenade peas, spewed from her ladle.

" _Saucy!_ "

"Chat!" groaned his lady. But they both-barely-dodged the sauce.

"So nice of you to make it through my Seven Courses of Chaos, Ladybug, Chat Noir. Let me reward you with dessert!" Calamity spat, as she touched her neck- no, she touched a necklace.

"My lady, it seems our akuma has impeccable taste in jewelry. It's in her necklace."

Ladybug looked over at him and then at the akuma-tized woman. "Okay… Now how are we supposed to get that pest with it literally around her neck?"

"Well, my lady, that's where you're amazing brain power comes in." He winked at her, causing her to groan. "Don't worry, I'll distract her."

"Chat, no-"

He stepped forward. "Dessert? Well I don't know. I've never been partial to sweets- especially overly sweetened ones." Chat taunted. "Maybe you should quit while you're ahead?"

"You take that back, my culinary skills are the best!"

"Then prove it." Chat launched, pointing his baton at the chef-akuma.

"How about some cream puffs, kitty cat?" Calamity snarled swinging her whisk in a downwards arc at the Chat.

Magically, four cream puffs appeared, all coming in like Chat-seeking missiles towards the leather clad hero. He leaped, dodging two, while deflecting two harmlessly to the ground. " _Merci_ , _mademoiselle_ , but this kitty doesn't do handouts."

With a shriek, Calamity swung her arms in successive strikes upwards, downwards and diagonally. Cream puffs, multi-flavored gateaux, and cupcakes, flew at the hero and he dodged them all, until she sent a sudden wave of-

"Chat!" Ladybug called out.

"Is this ...ice cream?!" Chat shuddered as the cold substance encased his legs, immobilizing him on the floor.

Calamity smirked. "I call it my creme glace. Not quite ice cream, not quite hard cream." She looked smug about it. "You're the first customer for it. And now, you'll be its first victim too." She swiped diagonally again, sending another arrow of creme glace at the immobilized hero.

This is gonna be cold, Chat thought.

Suddenly, Ladybug leaped in front of him and swung her yo-yo in its shield forme. The creme glace attack reflected off the surface of the shield and back towards the akuma, hitting her in the face.

"What am I going to do with you, kitty?" Ladybug sighed.

"Date me, eventually marry me, and have three kids named Emma, Felix and Aimee?" he suggested with a waggled of his eye brows. At the droll look she gave him in response, he relented. "We can negotiate the names later. CATACLYSM!" The dark chaotic power glowed around his fist and he pressed his knuckles to the creme glace. The sweet and cold confection dissolved and Chat was free again.

"We are _so_ not talking about this later…" Ladybug muttered. "LUCKY CHARM!" She called and tossed her yoyo in the air.

A red black-polka-dotted bowl fell into her waiting arms. "Seriously, Lucky Charm? A mixing bowl?"

Calamity finally managed to get the creme glace off of her face, scowling at Ladybug. "Now you're _finished_!" She swung her whisk in a downward arc and more cream puffs materialized.

"Puff alert!" Chat called out before batting them away from his lady. "Anytime you want to in form me of the plan you have, M'Lady. I'm just _puffed_ with anticipation!"

He and Calamity continued their duel of the desserts as his lady stared from the bowl, to the whisk and then at his staff. "Chat!"

"Yes, M'Lady?" he grunted as he deflected a flurry of _petite fours_.

"Make her mad! I have my plan." Ladybug grinned.

"You've got it, Bugaboo."

XXXX

AK: What could her plan be? R&R, please.


	9. Chapter 9: Sympathy & Symmetry

Chapter 9: Sympathy & Symmetry

Chat was really good at being annoying. And this time, Ladybug meant it as a compliment. She dodged and weaved under fire of desserts and sweets. Every so often, Calamity would spew creme glace, and Ladybug would be there to catch it in her bowl. The dance continued for what seemed like hours, but was probably around ten minutes.

Finally, Calamity erupted in anger. "ENOUGH!" she exploded, striking the ground with her whisk.

Suddenly, a wall of spongy, warm red velvet cake encased their legs. She caught them in a cake-trap.

"Well, this is definitely not the _cakewalk_ I thought it would be." Chat joked lamely as Calamity began whipping up what looked like-

"Are you seriously about to smother us in royal icing?" Ladybug demanded, acutely offended.

Calamity paused. "Does the victim not agree with the crowning her demise?"

"Uh, no!" Ladybug rolled her eyes. "You obviously need to visit a real bakery. Everyone knows you eat red velvet with cream cheese or white chocolate frosting."

"Um, M'Lady?" Chat sang from his own prison. "Are you sure this is the proper time to debate icing for a cake?"

"Of course this is the right time!" snapped both Calamity and Ladybug.

"Cream cheese frosting?" Calamity muttered. "My aunt always frosted our cake with royal icing… It was her signature." Her free hand absently moved to the necklace around her neck.

"I see. What was she like?" Ladybug prompted.

Calamity smiled, a glimmer of Colette in there. "She was strong, proud. She baked a mean tiramisu, and red velvet cake. She taught me to do my best and let the work speak for itself."

Ladybug felt a pang. "And would she want you terrorizing your workplace over something as petty as this?"

"What do you know?" Calamity snapped, before Colette sighed an answer, "No…"

"Then, please, let us help you, Colette. Give us the necklace and we can end this. Make your aunt proud." Ladybug urged.

Calamity seemed to consider it, and Ladybug saw a glimmer of hope, before the outline of Hawk Moth's akuma mask appeared, "NO! My name is CHEF CALAMITY!" she exploded. "And I will have my culinary triumph completed! Just as soon as I take your Miraculouses…"

"Chat now would be a good time to stick your paws in the cake!" Ladybug cried.

"You've got it, my baking _Buginette_." Chat answered. He whipped out his staff and started cutting through the cake around them. "You know, I hate to cut this cake without you, M'Lady."

"Trust me, this is no hardship on my heart, _mon minou_." Ladybug wryly remarked.

Freed from the spongy prison, Chat and Ladybug began attacking Calamity's fury of cooking and baking.

"Chat, hold this and follow my lead!" She shoved the bowl into his hands and charged through the flurry of cakes and pastries. She swung her yoyo to shield them from the ammunition coming at them.

"I will have you culinary triumph!" Calamity hissed!

"I think-!" Ladybug vaulted from Calamity's gigantic cream puff. " _NOT!_ "

She swung her yoyo down at Calamity, who raised her whisk to block and her yoyo wrapped securely around the weapon.

"Chat, dump it on her now!" Ladybug called.

Her partner was quick act, dumping the creme glace on a distracted Calamity. Immediately, the concoction froze the akuma in its tracks. " _Urgh!_ " Calamity grunted as she tried to moved.

Ladybug smiled at her leather clad partner. She carefully unhooked the necklace from Calamity's neck. "It's time for this to end, my little akuma."

She crushed the necklace in her hands and the black butterfly flew from the ruined vessel. She flicked her yoyo out and caught the evil-ized bug. "You've been a bad little baker, _mon petite akuma_."

She released the butterfly moments later, smiling as she waved at the pure white fluttering insect. "Bye bye, _papillion_."

Calamity's transformation receded and Colette slumped to the ground, confused and dazed.

"MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!" The bowl spiraled into the air and dispersed into a red light that busily worked to repair all the damage done. The remains of Calamity's dessert assault faded as the light rushed over the hotel.

"Bien joue," the duo bumped fists.

"Nice plan, M'Lady." Chat grinned at her.

"I couldn't have done it without you." Ladybug smiled at her partner.

"We do bake well together." Chat waggled his brows and Ladybug rolled her eyes. Her earring thankfully, gave her a sharp warning.

"Looks like my time's up, kitty. I'm out of this oven before dough hits the fan." She swung her yoyo up and out, hooking a building fixture to tug herself away. "Now all I have to do is think of an alibi for Alya…" the superheroine muttered to herself.

XXX

" _MARINETTE_!" her best friend tackled the bluenette in a bone crushing hug. "Are you okay? Did you get zombified? Did you see Ladybug? Did she save you?"

Adrien watched from the doorway of a nearby room he'd ducked into before his transformation gave way and he had a whiny Plagg to deal with, satisfied to see that Mari was safe. Now, he just had to stuff Plagg with cheese and apologize to the designer sometime tonight.

"I'm fine, I'm fine…" Mari assured her best friend. She didn't look much worse for wear, the only sign of her ordeal the loss of her small purse. Her pigtails seemed fuller, somewhat, but he chalked that up to humidity.

As Alya grilled her friend for more information, the door to the stairs opened and a dazed Colette shuffled out. Adrien studied her. Ladybug's _Miraculous Cure_ had reformed her necklace and the young woman was fingering it absently as she slowly tried to walk around the group and toward the elevators.

Unfortunately for her, Chloe saw her. "Mon dieu! Get that creep out of here."

Eyes locked onto retreating form of Colette. "She'll sauce us again, and try to get her job back. Get her out, get her out, Eli-poo!" She glommed onto the disinterested teen and pointed at Colette as if she were a roach on the wall.

Adrien readied himself to get out there, maybe draw attention from Colette and let the woman escape in peace, when someone snapped, " _Enough_ , Chloe!"

"What?" Chloe hissed at the speaker: shy, sweet Mari was standing between a guilt-stricken Colette and Chloe.

"I said, enough." Mari frowned. "You know, you caused this mess in the first place."

"I did? I'm not-"

"You really did! If you had bothered to get clarification on who was making what in the kitchen, you would have known that Colette wasn't in charge of your stupid sweets. She was preparing for the Nadeshiko Banquet Reception. She was out of the building from morning till an hour ago fine-tuning her list for ingredients." Mari glanced back to Colette, giving the woman a reassuring look.

Colette, no longer dazed and guilty-looking, straightened her spine. "That's right. I was put in charge of the Reception since Head Chef Cesaire fell ill last week. I didn't even know why I was being called away from my duties until you started your little tirade." A bit of fire leaked into Colette's formerly cool and distant facade.

"How dare you-"

"How dare you!" Mari rounded on the blonde, making everyone surprised. "You don't even know the meaning of hard work, yet you want to criticize her for something she didn't even know about, all because you want someone to scream and yell at, so you look more important than you are." Mari scoffed.

Red-faced, Chloe stamped her foot. "I am not!"

"You are. And you're a brat all the more for it."

"I'll get you deported you- you-!"

Mari rolled her eyes. "Try me, Chloe! But I doubt you'll succeed." She turned on her heel and stomped off toward the elevator with Colette right behind her.

Adrien was struck by how brave and commanding Mari was. She had a lot of moxie when defending something, and someone; especially someone. He'd seen it when she stood up for the class representative elections, and again when she'd helped his alter ego take down an akuma-tized Nathanael. She had so much passion for defending other, like her favorite hero, Ladybug. At least, he assumed she was Mari's favorite- the pigtails were a cute nod to the heroine.

Chloe continued to fume and spit and hiss, and Adrien made his presence known. "Oh Adri-kins!" She tried to glom onto him and he dodged. Normally, he'd patronize the blonde. She was his oldest friend. For a while, his only friend. But she'd gone too far this time.

"Chloe, that was mean, even for you." he told her.

"You- you saw that?"

Adrien hedged. "Enough to know that you were blaming an akuma-victim."

Chloe paled, loosening her grip on Eli, who slipped away, frowning.

"You were an akuma-victim too, Chloe. You have to admit, it wouldn't be nice if everyone still called _you_ **Antibug**." Alya reminded Chloe.

"Most of us were at one point." Nino pointed out.

The blond looked shamefaced. "But…"

"Can you remember anything about being Antibug?" Adrien continued.

"No…"

Adrien relented. "Look, Chlo… I'm just saying you should give her a break."

Chloe sighed raggedly. "Fine, I'll _think_ about it."

Adrien knew that was the best he could get out of Chloe for now. He'd have to work on helping his childhood friend be more open minded.

XXX

"I'm so proud of you, Marinette!" Tikki beamed at the pensive girl.

"Thanks, Tikki, but I still feel bad about the whole thing…" Mari sighed as she rolled her desk chair away from the computer screen.

"It's not like the Cure can fix all the problems that led up to the akuma. Sometimes, fate just works that way. Like with the _Bellarina_ from a couple of weeks ago. Remember her?" the red kwami reminded her charge.

Mari rolled her eyes. She did remember the akuma victim. Bella, an upperclassman transfer student from Canada who thought she was a prima donna. She had talent, everyone knew it. The problem was, she never really tried too hard. She expected to be handed the role, rather than earn it. And when the big Spring showcase lineup had been announced and Bella hadn't gotten the lead, she'd thrown a tantrum worse than Manon's that one time she'd missed the beginning of her favorite show.

Of course, while the damage the akuma had gone had been wiped away with ease. It hadn't really given Bella much except a bout of confusion and dejection at knowing she wouldn't be the lead for the showcase ensemble piece.

"You know there are limits to everything. But you did try to soften the blow." Tikki comforted Mari.

Mari had introduced her parents to the newly unemployed chef, and the couple had immediately hired her for part time, until she figured out what she wanted to do. Colette had been grateful, and enamored with their buttery soft croissants. Mari was honestly starting to think the pastries were magnets for people.

"Not to mention, I lost the purse…" Mari moaned. Her handmade purse, a design she'd had for years in her head before sewing it together.

"I can always just hide in your hair until you have time to make a new one." said Tikki.

"I guess…" She puzzled over it, lightly sketching new designs on the paper in front of her, but none really spoke to her like her purse did.

A light tapping on her window made her irritated. It took her a while to notice the knock, even when Tikki quickly tucked herself out of view. She looked up, ready to chew out whoever it was, when she saw those familiar green eyes and the messy golden blond hair. "Chat Noir?"

She rushed over to the window and pushed it wide, frowning. "Chat Noir?"

" _Bon nuit_ , _Purr_ -incess." Chat smiled hesitantly.

She could tell he was tense, his shoulders were rigid, his cat ears were drooping and his overall appearance said he was nervous. She didn't like a nervous Chat. A nervous Chat was a Chat that tended to act on emotion rather than logic. She decided to lighten the mood. "What is the great hero heartthrob of Paris doing at my humble abode?"


	10. Chapter 10: Apologies & Apple Tarts

**Chapter 10: Apologies & Apple Tarts**

Chat winced at her comment. He knew why she'd said something so out of character for herself. She was trying to get him to crack a smile- laugh- unwind. But he was wound tight.

"Yeah...why I'm here…" He rocked on his heels. "Listen, Marinette-"

"Whoa, my real name? This must be serious." Mari smiled teasingly. It kind of irked him. Not because he was trying to be serious and she was deliberately provoking him, but because she was never this open with him in civilian form. Adrien would kill to be this open with her- she was one of his most precious friends after all.

"Marinette, can we be serious for a moment? Please?" he stressed.

She blinked her wide blue eyes at him slowly. "Okay," she finally said. "Come in."

They made their way into her room, and Chat resisted the urge to relax in the warmth of her house. "First, here." He shoved her purse out toward her. Her eye widened even more, almost taking over her face.

"Chat, you found my purse? Thank you!" She grabbed the purse and beamed at him.

Actually, Alya had found it and given it to him- well, his alter ego Adrien- specifically to return to Mari.

Chat winced. "Yeah… but Marinette… I'm so sorry that I locked you in the elevator."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I heard… Ladybug had to save you from the elevator after I trapped you there. Desole, Marinette." Chat hung his head. "I was supposed to put you in a place you'd feel safe, not where you'd have a panic attack."

A gentle hand touched his cheek and Chat raised his eyes to meet the concerned eyes of his classmate and friend. "Chat, you didn't put me in danger… I just didn't like that I was stuck in the elevator when I still had valuable information to give to you and Ladybug."

Chat frowned. "But M'Lady said you were angry."

Mari winced. "Maybe she misinterpreted my frustration as anger? The bottom line is, Chat, I'm okay." She smiled an assuring smile at the leather clad hero.

"You sure?" Chat pressed on.

She giggled, a sound that made Chat's shoulders relax. "I'm fine, silly Chat. I may not be a leather clad superhero, but I'm fairly capable of running really fast."

Chat smirked, letting himself relax completely. "I know; are you sure you don't want to join us on patrol?"

Mari gave a nervous laugh. "No way, I'd like to think my super speed can only be used in times of great need to disappear from a situation."

"Worth a shot. I know you'd make an amazing costume."

Mari smirked, a twinkle in her eye. "Of course. Something totally original."

They talked for a long while afterwards, and he even convinced her to let him play _Ultimate Mecha Strike III._ He still lost to her- soundly. She even taunted him a bit as he was leaving for the night. It was nearing midnight. "You sure you're not a real black cat. I'm trouncing you so bad right now, " she laughed after her fifth consecutive win.

Chat pouted. "Princess, it's only natural your knight would concede victory to one so fair." When Mari gave him a funny look, he sighed. "Fine, I'm just off my game. I bet you tomorrow I'll be way better."

That made both of them stop short or their slow progression across her balcony and look at each other. "You… want to come over tomorrow?" Mari asked.

Chat mentally cursed himself. "I mean, maybe not tomorrow… Maybe the day after- I patrol with Ladybug tomorrow so I don't want to cut it too close… Would you let me?"

Mari blinked rapidly. "Of course, sure. We're friends aren't we?" She looked confused, as if the fact that they were friends was something commonly known.

Chat perked up. "We are. We totally are!"

"Okay, then I'll see you the day after tomorrow then." she confirmed. "Nine o'clock?"

"Nine o'clock." Chat left feeling lighter than air. He was practically floating. Plagg moaned and complained at him when they skulked back into his room later, but he ignored the gripey kwami.

"You humans are so weird. First, you were practically depressed over the girl being mad at you, and now you're skipping through the air because she told Chat Noir you were friends." the kitty kwami groused.

"Shut up, Plagg." Adrien groaned at the menace that fate had bestowed upon him.

"I'm just saying you are a very emotional species as a whole." Plagg continued.

"Let me enjoy this for one minute."

"I didn't talk on the way back home." pointed out the strange creature.

"You _couldn't_ talk on the way back." Adrien corrected his partner.

"Semantics. I think you need more cheese in your diet." Plagg scoffed.

"There's more cheese for you in the mini fridge if you leave me alone." Adrien told his nosey friend.

" _Finally!_ " Plagg zoomed off for the cheese.

XXX

At school the day that Chat was going to come over, Mari brought at white bakery box in for lunch. She even mustered up the courage invite Adrien- well, she'd had Nino invite Adrien to lunch again. They were all in the school yard when they saw Chloe pass by with Sabrina, with Chloe being quick to dismiss the lot of them, and blow a kiss to Adrien as he joined them.

Eli was all apologies to the entire gang. "Seriously, I'm so sorry I put you guys in such an awkward situation. Promise, I'll be less forceful in the future."

Nino, Mari, and Adrien were quick to forgive the male designer, but Alya teased him mercilessly a while longer.

"But it was so cool how Ladybug and Chat Noir were right there in the thick of it!" Nino awed.

Alya was beaming. "Right? I mean, I got so much exclusive footage; the news channel begged me to give them some."

Mari laughed nervously at their animated chatter. She really felt uncomfortable discussing herself- well, her alter ego- with others. Instead she presented the white box. "Um, s-so well...C-Colette sent these for everyone." she said, cursing that Alya had seen fit to arrange their seating so that Adrien was next to her.

"Oh yeah. It was cool of you to get her a job at your parents bakery, Marinette." Nino remembered. "Right, Adrien?"

"Totally." the blond model smiled.

She blushed and shrugged. "My parents were l-looking for extra help; besides, it's only part time until she figures out what she wants to do next."

Colette had mentioned traveling to study more culinary styles when they had left the Grande Paris the other day.

She opened the box to unveil the sweet-smelling, fresh-baked-this-morning apple tarts. There were eight of them, glazed with a caramel-looking sauce and topped with thin slices of baked apples. "These look delicious!" Eli said, taking one from the box delicately. Once everyone had a tart, they bit into it and moaned in unison. "They taste like apple-heaven…" Eli groaned around his second bite, which was much-MUCH- larger than the second.

"This is the best apple tart I've ever tasted! No offense to your mother's, Marinette." remarked Alya.

"None taken. Now I know why these were so hard to keep in shop yesterday. Her tarts are blowing up the store." Mari informed them absently.

"Well, we have three more left…" Alya noted, peering into the still open box.

"I'll take them off your hands, you know, since model boy can't eat too many." Nino grinned, jeering at his best friend.

"Hey, I want another one too, Nino." Adrien laughed.

"A-actually-' Mari spoke up, wringing her hands. "Two of these are for Chloe and Sabrina…"

"What?!" Alya and Eli screeched, drawing looks.

"Colette felt really bad about giving us all such a scare the other day…" Mari conveyed, giving a wince of sympathy for the young chef.

Ayla huffed. "She wasn't at fault though. That was all jerk face and his stupid brother, with a guest appearance from Chloe the Brat- no offense Adrien but she is a brat."

"Still, after watching the footage on the _Ladyblog_ , she felt _really, really_ bad. Besides, she's really opening up right now. You can all come see her at the bakery, if you want."

"I totally want to see. Kind of feel bad I made her feel bad, but I'm glad she's better now." Alya replied. "The Dupain-Cheng touch really is something that has to be shared."

"Dude, I'll go wherever there's more tarts." Nino agreed.

"Luckily I'm free today." Adrien smiled.

Eli grimaced as he checked his phone. "I'm not… I've got errands to run for my mom."

"Oh, okay, maybe next time?" Mari shrugged.

Lunch went by without an incident, and Adrien safely delivered the tarts to Chloe and Sabrina. Sabrina genuinely said it was delicious, but Chloe was stiff-lipped about it, sniffing at it like it would bite her. But Mari overheard her in the hallway after their last class ordering her butler to buy a dozen from the bakery.

XXX

It was packed at the bakery, a line from the door to the counter. Everyone loved the food here. Colette beamed as she made change for a purchase.

"Colette," Sabine, Marinette's mother and co-owner of the bakery alongside with her husband."Switch with Tom and help Jolie in the back. We need more of you amazing tarts."

"Okay, Mrs. Cheng." Colette answered.

"It's _Sabine_ , dear."

Colette smiled and made her way to the back. Jolie, another part time worker the Dupain-Cheng's had hired for the sudden burst in business, greeted her.

"Hey Collie!" Jolie beamed.

Colette couldn't help but smile back. "Hey, Jolie."

"So which tasty flavors will it be this time? Strawberry? Cherry? Oh, maybe make a fresh triple fruit layer tart?" Jolie fantasized aloud.

"Maybe some more apple tarts, and a batch of cherry ones." Colette set to work in tandem with the aspiring business student.

Together they made a few dozen of each to satisfy the rush, and soon Colette was switched again, this time with Sabine so she could make her savory treats for the lunch crowd.

It seemed like Tom made the sweet treats, while Sabine made the savory lunch time favorites. It was a partnership that filled Colette with envy and reminiscence. It reminded her so much of her aunt and her mother's seamless working routine. Barely a word could pass between the two sisters yet their small cafe would never feel empty or shockingly silent.

After her mother had passed, Colette's aunt had tried her best to hold on and keep their small dream alive. She'd passed on recipes and beliefs to Colette that had withstood years of regimented cooking classes and rules of restaurant etiquette. Of course the young chef had conformed to the mold, but one day in the Dupain-Cheng bakery and she found herself echoing the light and excited footsteps of her aunt and mother. She felt like a true chef under the employment of the bakery couple.

She touched her necklace pendant, tucked into her pant's pockets, a smile touching her lips. "I think I finally understand, Aunt Celine…" she murmured quietly to herself as she retrieved the three spinach puffs for the customer in front of her. "This is culinary greatness…"

The door's overhead bell jangled again and Colette smiled at the sight of Marinette and her friends coming in.

"I'm back, Maman! Hi, Colette!" Mari smiled.

"Welcome back, Mari!"

XXX

AK: And so it ends. Look forward to my next one. It's going to be more mature (probably rated T). I'm thinking something deeper with Eli and his mother. This story morphed from Eli's akuma story to more or an intro story to Eli's character. Will he be a foil for Chat Noir, or Adrien? What does his akuma form look like? These are questions I am slowly developing the answers to.


	11. Epilogue: Spring Fever Rivals Redux

**Epilogue: Spring Fever Rivals Redux**

Eli considered himself a pretty observant person. He watched, compiled and assessed. All in seconds. That was his ability. To read others, specifically.

He leaned back against the long seat of his limo as it navigated the streets of Paris. Currently, he and his mother were staying at the Chateau du Paris, a rival hotel to the Grande Paris. One night at the Grande had been enough to tell his mother that Mayor Bourgeois and his bratty daughter were not going to let her rest peacefully.

As soon as the car pulled up in front of the Chateau, Eli was out and stalking up to the door in long strides. The doorman nodded to him shortly and opened the door. A trip in the elevator to the Ambassador's Suite on the twelfth floor and a short call to room service later, Eli was pacing in his room.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Nino had sent him a picture of them at the bakery, with Colette. His eyes zeroed in on the smiling bluenette standing between Colette and Alya. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. A smile contorted his lips as his gaze lingered on her beaming face.

He was also pretty astute at figuring out his own stance on certain things. Like his budding feeling for Mari. His sweet and spicy little rival had somehow conquered his heart in the month they'd known each other. This was an unexpected result, but not unpleasant. Actually, he felt like he'd enjoy this rivalry even more.

Another message came to his phone, this one from his mother, reminding him to get done with his errands in time for dinner with the director. Eli sighed. Sometimes he wondered if his mother realized he wasn't all that interested in being apart of show business.

As he gathered her things, he noticed, through the window of his mother's room, a billboard with a familiar face on it. He smirked. "Sorry, Adrien. I think I'll be taking my Mari-pie."

XXX

AK: And that is a wrap, people! R&R, please. I'm working on my next story line for MLB.


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